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Patrick Mercer, former shadow minister for security and an infantry commanding officer, said the Vikings were a "precious resource" that the Army could not afford to lose.

"This may only be 35 men but that's a platoon and a half and you have to look at whether this situation could be replicated when the Sherwood Foresters and the Grenadier Guards - who were in theatre at around the same time - undergo similar tests," he said.

The manning figures do not include the number of service personnel that are sick and injured, he said, and claimed the Ministry of Defence was "in denial" about the problem.

"The single most important piece of kit that we have got is the man that carries the pike, the man that pushes the bayonet, the man that throws the hand grenade," he said.

"The Armed Forces are in a parlous state in terms of those who do the fighting, the killing and the dying".

An MoD spokesmen said service personnel are issued with two forms of protective hearing equipment - ear plugs and ear defenders.

Many chose not to wear the equipment as they reduce awareness and the ability to hear commands, he added.

He said: "We are actively looking to acquire more advanced hearing protection equipment that is based on active noise reduction technology, can be worn with standard helmets and is compatible with personal role radio but minimises the blocking out of other noise such as voices."